Abstract
Prediabetes (PrDM) is a prodromal stage of diabetes mellitus (DM) with an increasing prevalence worldwide. During DM progression, individuals gradually develop complications in various organs. However, lungs are suggested to be affected later than other organs, such as the eyes, heart or brain. In this work, we studied the effects of PrDM on male Wistar rats’ lungs and whether the regular consumption of white tea (WTEA) for 2 months contributes to the improvement of the antioxidant profile of this tissue, namely through improved activity of the first line defense antioxidant enzymes, the total antioxidant capacity and the damages caused in proteins, lipids and histone H2A. Our data shows that PrDM induced a decrease in lung superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities and histone H2A levels and an increase in protein nitration and lipid peroxidation. Remarkably, the regular WTEA intake improved lung antioxidant enzymes activity and total antioxidant capacity and re-established the values of protein nitration, lipid peroxidation and histone H2A. Overall, this is the first time that lung is reported as a major target for PrDM. Moreover, it is also the first report showing that WTEA possesses relevant chemical properties against PrDM-induced lung dysfunction.
Highlights
Accepted: 18 June 2021Demographic aging and significant changes in lifestyles, namely in dietary habits, have caused a dramatic increase in Diabetes Mellitus (DM) incidence, representing nowadays one of the greatest threats to public health
diabetes mellitus (DM) generally results from a failure in the secretion and/or action of insulin, a hormone produced by pancreatic β cells that allows glucose to be uptaken by cells, in order to guarantee energy required for metabolism
60 days of treatment PrDM animals presented 352 ± 32 g and PrDM + white tea (WTEA) 378 ± 32 g, while the control group showed 347 ± 20 g. It was observed an increase in food consumption by PrDM animals (26.8 ± 0.39 g), while PrDM + WTEA treated animals consumed 28.6 ± 0.99 g compared to control animals (23.8 ± 0.17 g)
Summary
Accepted: 18 June 2021Demographic aging and significant changes in lifestyles, namely in dietary habits, have caused a dramatic increase in Diabetes Mellitus (DM) incidence, representing nowadays one of the greatest threats to public health. DM is one of the most prevalent metabolic diseases in developed countries. DM generally results from a failure in the secretion and/or action of insulin, a hormone produced by pancreatic β cells that allows glucose to be uptaken by cells, in order to guarantee energy required for metabolism. In addition to mild hyperglycemia, the patients are glucose intolerant and/or have insulin resistance. This stage of the disease is associated with an increase in oxidative stress (OS) caused by the increment of free radicals production and the reduction of antioxidant defenses, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR) and catalase (CAT) [2]. In DM patients, the lungs seem to be Published: 25 June 2021
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
